Minnesotans, I urge you to vote no against the Clean Water Amendment.  I know it sounds like something we should be for, but the process is far too distorted.  This is something the legistature should take up, and it’s only by their failing that we now have this Constitutional Amendment.  The Constitution is not for what should be acts of the legislature, but rather for very serious issues, particularly those involving human rights.  It should not be used for what’s essentially just a referendum.  Not only does it give the legislators even more of an excuse not to do their jobs in the future, but it also ties their hands should we need to change it.  If it passes, the only way to undo it is by another Constitutional Amendment.  It’s a seriously problematic way to go about governing ourselves.

And this is coming from a liberal.

Cheers,
Charlie

Tom Toles, Washington Post

Cheers,
Charlie

And this is exactly why Obama had to opt-out of public financing.

Hey, speaking of money, anyone hear what McCain’s economic advisor, Phil Gramm, said about Americans recently?  I’m thinking I don’t need to link to that one (although the media coverage has been a bit sparse for what it deserved)…

Cheers,
Charlie

Obama has always said that he would listen to the military leaders in order to handle the situation responsibly. The media has gotten this new narrative in its head, that Obama is apparently shifting on everything, so therefore it interprets everything through this narrative.

For the love of God, media, stop doing this and start acting like the professionals you’re supposed to be. It’s no wonder no one trusts you.

Cheers,
Charlie

While I’m not as quick to blame it on racism, Tim Wise makes a very strong and eloquent case for why it’s insane for Clinton supporters to threaten to vote McCain, and because of this insanity, why it’s hard to blame it on anything other than racism.

And now for a third question, and this is the biggie, so please take your time with it: How is it that you have managed to hold your nose all these years, just like a lot of us on the left, and vote for Democrats who we knew were horribly inadequate–Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Dukakis, right on down the uninspiring line–and yet, apparently can’t bring yourself to vote for Barack Obama? A man who, for all of his shortcomings (and there are several, as with all candidates put up by either of the two major corporate parties) is surely more progressive than any of those just mentioned. And how are we to understand that refusal–this sudden line in the proverbial sand–other than as a racist slap at a black man? You will vote for white men year after year after year–and are threatening to vote for another one just to make a point–but can’t bring yourself to vote for a black man, whose political views come much closer to your own, in all likelihood, than do the views of any of the white men you’ve supported before. How, other than as an act of racism, or perhaps as evidence of political insanity, is one to interpret such a thing?

He raises a lot of good points, even outside of the racism discussion.

Cheers,
Charlie

Please think about this before you try to convince yourself that McCain is an independent.  He’s not. 

Hopefully, that’ll be the last I’ll say on the issue (although I highly, highly doubt it).

Cheers,
Charlie

As such, I will attempt to completely ignore politics for about a week.  I know I will probably fail in this goal within 10 minutes, but at least I’ll not post anything here for that same period.

On the plus side, any time I say I’m not going to do something on this blog, I almost always do the opposite.  So I might end up posting something substantive after all (which this blog has definitely been in need of).

Cheers,
Charlie

Cheers,
Charlie

Image from Startribune.com.

And a glass of Midleton Very Rare to toast the occassion.

Cheers,
Charlie